The Weirdo

The Weirdo (actually entitled Weirdo, the Beginning on the video print) was a massive step up for director Andy Milligan after the train wreck that was Carnage (1986). Another in his series of 'dinner theater' productions, it was shot in Southern California with an amateur cast. And while I would never, EVER claim that it's a classic film of any variety, it weaves a strange spell thanks to Milligan's preference for deadpan dialogue, angular set-ups, and odd settings. Indeed, with the exception of only a few 'big city' shots, The Weirdo resides in a rural fairytale version of the Southland located not a million miles from the Spahn Movie Ranch. If Ingmar Bergman ever made a no-budget horror film, it might look like this, especially during its expository first hour, where characters argue, snipe, and moan endlessly at each other. With oddly affecting performances by cute little Jessica Straus and dear old Naomi Sherwood, as well as a generous assortment of gruesome deaths in the final third of the film, this is a unique example of truly independent filmmaking.

Okay, I'll admit that this film is as bad as the title would suggest, but really, it does manage to have a few good moments. But while I wouldn't go so far as to say that it's "so bad, it's good", I will have to confess that there were times when I laughed because of the overwhelming stupidity. Really, this film has it all: Bad acting, horrible editing, pathetic special effects...but what do you really expect from any film with a LOW budget, right? It's not good by any stretch of the imagination, but it does create enjoyment if you can laugh AT a movie. If you are a person who can enjoy BAD movies, then I think that you'll get a kick out of this...others beware.

Andy Milligan films are not for everyone; I'm not even sure if they're for me, and I've already seen quite a few. That said, The Weirdo appears to be one of the directors more accessible efforts, with an air of professionalism not evident in the others I have seen. Now don't get me wrong - this is still rough and ready, low-budget fare - but the story flows nicely and the characters are well developed, Mr. Milligan clearly making an effort to emotionally engage his audience.

Heading the cast is Steve Burington as autistic young man Donnie Raymond, who lives in a shed belonging to well-meaning Miss Martins (Naomi Sherwood), for whom he runs errands. Subject to regular bullying by three local thugs - Nails (Shawn Player), Vic (Dennis Robbins) and Dean (Patrick Thomas) - Donnie leads a relatively lonely existence until he is befriended by fellow outcast, pretty disabled 18-year-old Jenny (Jessica Straus). The young couple's friendship blossoms into love, and so Donnie is rightfully upset when his uncaring mother (Lynne Caryl), who lives on the other side of town, tries to send him to Mississippi, having agreed to sell him to sleazoid Cycil Price (Carroll Oden). Donnie finally snaps, decapitating his mother with a meat cleaver, and kills Price with a pole; he also takes care of pervy priest Reverand Cummings (John Rand), and his meddling wife (Janet Roberts), who also stand in the way of his relationship with Jenny. Ultimately, Donnie turns his rage towards the trio of bullies who have made his life a misery, before - in true classic horror film fashion - he is attacked by an angry mob.

Although The Weirdo still suffers from amateurish acting and extreme budgetary restraints (the gore effects are especially cheap), for once Milligan seems to really care about his characters, telling a surprisingly moving tale of doomed love and inevitable tragedy (albeit one with an admittedly silly and violent final act). While I'm not suggesting that this film will make a dedicated Milligan fan out of anyone, those with a tolerance for z-grade trash will probably find something to like about The Weirdo, even if it's only the fact that it's far more entertaining than The Rats Are Coming! The Werewolves Are Here! (which I consider to be completely worthless).

If this seems a lot different from the rest of Milligan's sparse 80s output, it's because this is actually a remake of a mid-70s Milligan film that was lost. In many ways it is the ultimate Milligan film, undone by the same elements that did in Milligan's last few films: the gritty, sleazy ensembles of "The Ghastly Ones" and "Fleshpot on 42nd Street" are replaced by bland actors from the fringes of respectable Hollywood. Beyond that the crazy, manic energy of Milligan's early films, the screaming actors, traumatic camera-work, and canned background music are long gone, replaced by a modicum of "professionalism".

Unlike his other 80s films, however, there are lots of early Milligan elements: horrible, evil mothers, sadistic and cruel authority figures, freaks (I guess Donnie's crippled girlfriend counts), and Milligan's own obvious identification with the doomed monster. The weirdo, Donnie, is basically a harmless borderline retard a la Hal Borske in "The Ghastly Ones" who is bullied and humiliated before taking his revenge in an oddly satisfying but shoddy manner. If you've read "The Ghastly One" and actually like some of Milligan's films, parts might strike you as almost touching, since so much of Milligan himself seems to be on display here, but that said the high-school cast, awkward dialog, silly 80s gang, and characters who arbitrarily change at the drop of a plot point don't really help matters. Definitely not "the worst film" ever (none of Milligan's films are even close to that), but too lumbering and leaden for its own good. Too bad the original is "lost", I'd love to see it.

Scanning through the threadbare plot: Mildly retarded man falls in love with troubled girl, is pushed around by town bullies and then, eventually snaps, murdering those who caused him pain. THE WEIRDO, made by one of the most reviled directors in cinema history - Andy Milligan - should be taken with a grain of salt. He has a passion for the odd and makes due with what he's given, but we all know he doesn't have a talented bone in his body. Here, in THE WEIRDO, Milligan's budget seems to have been "upped" significantly since bad movie epics like THE BLOODTHIRSTY BUTCHERS and GURU THE MAD MONK. Fortunately, those schlocky aforementioned films had a certain flare in 'em, while THE WEIRDO is nothing but talk, talk, talk without pay-off. I had hoped in the final massacre it'd be in brutal and spectacular fashion. Unfortunately, Milligan seemed more in interested in making a drama about Donny's torment, pain and involvement with his romantic interest, so little focus was on the actual revenge theme. I'm pretty sure I dozed off at some point, but in a movie like this, can ya blame me? Really, this is bottom-of-the-barrel material. Apart from the interesting [yet highly derivative] concept, THE WEIRDO has absolutely NOTHING of worth.